CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — It was a carjacking that went horribly wrong.
It took the life of a Navy sailor and put a young man behind bars.
San Diego County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Popkins on Friday sentenced Ricardo Vazquez Gongora to 15 years to life in prison for killing Eddie Foster.
Foster died last year when Vazquez Gongora, then 18, stole Foster's car while he was working a second job as an Amazon delivery driver.
Foster was a father of four who had served at Naval Station North Island. His mom told ABC 10 News that he enlisted about four years ago at the age of 30 to support his family.
Diana Medlen, Foster's mother, asked the judge to sentence Vazquez Gongora to life.
"I want to tell Mr. Gongora that I forgive you for what you did. And I still ask you to pay your price. Pay the price for my son's life. And I hope you go to prison and you get something better with your life," she said.
Vazquez Gongora may be eligible for parole in about 13 years because of time served and California state laws regarding young offenders, according to Deputy District Attorney Makenzie Harvey.
Vazquez Gongora pled guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year. On Friday, he cried as he apologized to Foster's family.
He also sat motionless as Foster's wife, who moved out of state, sent a nearly 10-minute audio statement to the court.
In that statement, Ashley Foster said the death has rocked her and her family, causing her to relapse into substance abuse and contemplate suicide.
A prosecutor said after a night of drinking and partying, Vazquez Gongora stole Foster's car because he and a teenage girl were stranded in Coronado.
Foster tried to stop the theft by jumping on the hood, and he held on for 2 to 3 miles while Vazquez Gongora swerved back and forth.
The vehicle crashed at the entrance of the Coronado Bridge, where Foster sustained injuries that later killed him.
Foster's mom told ABC 10 News that he was an organ donor and his lungs saved the life of a person in Israel.
